Judges and Justices

The Gavel Gap: Who Sits In Judgement on State Courts?, American Constitution Society

“Using the State Bench Database, we examine the gender, racial, and ethnic composition of state courts. We then compare the composition of state courts to the composition of the general population in each state. We find that courts are not representative of the people whom they serve—that is, a gap exists between the bench and the citizens. We call this gap the Gavel Gap.”

gavel-gap-report